Protective second boot for connectable components, for preventing accidents involving drivelines incorporating shafts with universal joints or the like

ABSTRACT

The second boot that protects parts adjacent to a fixed box from which there projects a rotating hub that is to be connected to a driveline (with the possible presence of a friction clutch or of a torque limiting means) comprises—attached to the fixed box ( 1 )—a disc ( 11 ) with a peripheral edge ( 11 A) for engagement and fastening; and a sleeve ( 17 ) that can be engaged inside the edge ( 11 A- 11 B) of said disc ( 11 ), with fastening clips ( 22 ) capable of being clipped to and unclipped from said edge ( 11 A- 11 B). Said sleeve ( 17 ) may include protective layers around the parts which it encloses.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an improved second boot for protecting partsadjacent to a fixed box from which there projects a rotating hub that isto be connected to a driveline incorporating a shaft with universal orother joints and with its own protection, with the possible presence ofa friction clutch or of a torque limiting means or other member. Amongthe objects of the invention, which will be understood on reading thefollowing text, are ease of access for operation on the parts inside,ease of dismantling and so forth.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The second boot according to the invention basically comprises: attachedto the fixed box, a disc with a peripheral edge for engagement andfastening; and a sleeve that can be engaged inside the edge of said discwith fastening clips capable of being clipped to and unclipped from saidedge. Said sleeve may include protective layers around the parts whichit encloses.

In practice, said sleeve may comprise a tubular skirt having flexibleportions and made from a relatively flexible synthetic material.

Advantageously provided in the disc are ventilation apertures, withdeformations that function in conjunction with the passage definedbetween the sleeve and the protective boot surrounding the universaljoint of the driveline; the deformations also tend to limit anydeforming of said skirt.

On the inside of said tubular skirt there may a tubular layer withinsulating properties, and a tubular sheet metal price for reinforcementfrom the inside of said tubular layer. The tubular layer and saidtubular sheet metal piece may both be bent strips held in place bylocking rings housed in channels formed in the sheet metal piece.

The second boot to which the invention relates may advantageouslycomprise a connecting chain between said disc and said sleeve and achain, with a clip, between said disc and the protective sheath of thejointed drive shaft.

A cleaner understanding of the invention will be gained from thedescription and accompanying drawing, which latter shows a practical,non-restrictive example of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the assembly in a side view and partial section withcertain components separated in FIG. 1 and assembled in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show certain components in isolation, FIG. 5 being asection of V—V as marked in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 correspond to FIGS. 1 and 2 and show an embodiment thathas been modified to also include a friction clutch or equivalent torquelimiting means;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the components of a reinforced sleeve;and

FIGS. 9 and 10 and 11 show the second boot as mounted, in a partialaxial view, in the section on X—X as marked in FIG. 9 and in an enlargeddetail of the portion indicated by arrow f₁₁ in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As depicted in FIGS. 1 to 5, the numeral 1 is a general reference for apower take-off box or housing, extending from a portion 1A of which is apower take-off 3 consisting of a short projecting splined shaft, similarto shaft 3A which also projects from the box 1. Engaged on the powertake-off 3 in the drawing is the fork 5A of a universal joint 5, whosesecond fork 5B is combined with a telescopic shaft 7 of a driveline thatincludes two universal joints, of a type that is known, especially inagricultural machinery, and as such fitted with a protective coveringformed by a telescopic sheath 9A and by a shaft boot 9B to protect theuniversal joint 5. The invention relates to a second or housing bootwhich is fitted conventionally to portion 1A of the box 1 to surroundthe joint 5 and also to overlap around the first boot 9B of theaforesaid protective covering 9A, 9B.

As shown in the drawings, a disc 11 with a basically cylindrical edge11A terminating in an outward turned-back lip 11B is attached to the endface of the portion 1A of the box 1 (the portion from which the powertake-off 3 projects). The disc 11 has a series of windows in its flatcentral area partly for the exit of the power take-off shaft 3, andpartly for its attachment by means of bolts to the end surface of theportion 1A, adapting it to the different dimensions of commerciallyavailable boxes; furthermore, and characteristically, said disc 11 hasventilation apertures 13 which are made by slitting the sheet metal ofthe disc 11 and bending the material of said disc into deformations 13A.These deformations 13A project from the surface around and immediatelyinside the edge 11A of the disc. The disc 11 is attached to the endsurface of the portion 1A with bolts 15 so that it can easily beattached and made substantially secure while yet being easily removable.

A sleeve 17 can be fastened to the disc 11 and constitutes the mainstructure of the second boot. This sleeve 17 comprises a skirt 19 whichis at least partly flexible with corrugations 19 and which forms ashaped edge 20 to allow it to be inserted inside the edge 11A and restagainst the lip 11B of the disc 11. The sleeve 17 is fitted with clips22 for clipping it to said terminal peripheral lip 11B of the edge 11Aof the disc 11, in such a way that it can be released at any time by aquick and very simple operation. A light chain 24 can be attached to thedisc 11 and to the sleeve 17 so that the sleeve cannot be lost, but alsoallows said sleeve 17 to be partially removed with ease from the disc 1fixed to the box 1. 26 denotes another chain (see FIG. 2 in particular)that can in a quickly detachable way connect the protective covering 9A,9B of the universal-jointed shaft 7, 5 to the second boot which isrepresented by the disc 11 and sleeve 17, and actually to connect saidprotective covering to the disc 11, in order to prevent spontaneousrotation of said protective covering 9A, 9B.

The second boot formed by the disc 11 and sleeve 17 is adapted for axiallength by removing some of the corrugated part 19, in order to adapt thesecond boot to the dimensions of the shaft to which it is to be fitted.

The second boot constructed as described may be sufficient to protectthe members of the driveline to which it is fitted. In certain cases,however, the second boot requires reinforcing and must also be madeprotective from the standpoint of thermal insulation, when a member suchas a friction clutch or a torque-limiting coupling or the like ispresent as indicated at 28 in FIGS. 6 and 7. In these cases it is usefulto have a reinforced second boot to offer greater strength than theskirt 19. In this case (FIGS. 6 to 10) the sleeve 17 is given insulatinglayers and reinforcing layers. In particular, the sleeve 17 may be givena layer 30 of thermal insulation for protection against heating of themember present in the driveline, such as the clutch 28 or otherequivalent member. A layer of sheet metal 32 is used to hold the layer30 in place, both these layers being in the form of open rings and thesheet metal piece 32 being applied on the inside of the layer 30, whichin turn is applied to the inside of the smooth part 19B of the sleeve17, which smooth part adjoins both the corrugated part 19A and the edge20. In order to keep the two layers 30 and 32 in the correct position asshown in FIG. 10 and in FIGS. 6 and 7 and in the detail shown in FIG.11, the sheet metal piece 32 comprises two grooves 32A around itsannular edges to house two locking rings 34 which are elasticallyexpandable and so hold the assembled layers 30 and 32 between thecorrugated part 19A and the shaped edge 20 designed to be coupled to thedisc 11. The layers 30 and 32 give greater strength and greaterprotection not only to mechanical stresses but also to the effects ofheat transmission.

It will be clear that once the second boot has been mounted, it will bea simple matter to release the clips 22 to withdraw the sleeve 17 of thesecond boot from the disc 11 in order to gain access to the componentsnormally contained inside and protected by the second boot when thelatter is attached to the disc 11. Releasing and reattaching the sleeve17 in done with great ease by operating the clips 22.

It will be understood that the drawing shows only an illustrativeembodiment purely by way of a practical demonstration of the invention,it being possible for the invention to be varied as regards shapes andarrangements without thereby departing from the scope of the concept onwhich it is based. Any reference numerals which may appear in theaccompanying claims are for the purpose of facilitating the reading ofthe claims with reference to the description and drawing, and do notlimit the scope of protection represented by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fixed box boot for protecting parts adjacent toa fixed box from which there projects a rotating hub that it to beconnected to a driveline incorporating a jointed shaft with itsprotective covering, said boot being characterized in that it comprises:attached to the fixed box a disc with a peripheral edge for engagementand fastening; and a sleeve that can be engaged inside the edge of saiddisc with fastening clips capable of being clipped to and unclipped fromsaid edge, said disc including ventilation apertures, with deformationsthat function in conjunction with the passage defined between the sleeveand the protective boot that surrounds the universal joint of thedriveline, these deformations tending to limit any deforming of saidskirt.
 2. The boot according to claim 1, characterized in that saidsleeve comprises a tubular skirt having flexible portions and made of asynthetic material.
 3. The boot according to claim 2, wherein itcomprises, on the inside of said tubular skirt, a tubular layer withinsulating properties, and a tubular sheet metal piece for reinforcementon the inside.
 4. The boot according to claim 3, characterized in thatsaid tubular layer and said tubular sheet metal piece are both bentstrips held in place by locking rings housed in channels formed in thesheet metal piece.
 5. The boot according to claim 1, wherein itcomprises a connecting chain between said disc and said sleeve and achain, with a clip, between said disc and the protective sheath of thejointed drive shaft.
 6. The boot according claim 1, wherein it includesa friction clutch or a torque limiting means or other member.
 7. Theboot according to claim 1, wherein, said sleeve includes protectivelayers around the parts which it encloses.
 8. A driveline arrangementcomprising: a fixed housing; a joined shaft extending from said fixedhousing; a shaft boot arranged around said jointed shaft; a discattached to the fixed housing, said disc including a peripheral edge; asleeve having a first end engageable with said peripheral edge, saidsleeve having a second end defining a passage with said shaft boot, saiddisc including ventilation apertures with deformations that function inconjunction with said passage, said deformations limiting deformation ofsaid second end of said sleeve; fastening clips for clipping andunclipping said first end of said sleeve to and from said peripheraledge of said disc.
 9. The arrangement in accordance with claim 8,wherein: said second end of said sleeve surrounds said shaft boot.
 10. Adriveline boot comprising: a disc attachable to a fixed housing, saiddisc including a peripheral edge; a sleeve having a first end engageablewith said peripheral edge, said sleeve having a second end; aninsulating tubular layer arranged on an inside of said second end ofsaid sleeve; a tubular sheet metal piece also arranged inside saidsecond end of said sleeve for reinforcing said sleeve; fastening clipsfor clipping and unclipping said first end of said sleeve to and fromsaid peripheral edge of said disc.